love > everything else

God’s Mercy Is for Everyone (Romans 11 cont'd)

God’s Mercy Is for Everyone 25 I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters,[g] so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. 26 And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say, “The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,[h] and he will turn Israel[i] away from ungodliness. 27 And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins.”[j] 28 Many of the people of Israel are now enemies of the Good News, and this benefits you Gentiles. Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. 30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against him, God was merciful to you instead. 31 Now they are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too, will share[k] in God’s mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone. 33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! 34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice?[l] 35 And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?[m] 36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.Paul really spends a lot of time spelling things out for the Romans. I think that I take for granted that others have explained to me that God’s mercy is for everyone.

Vs. 32 mentions that “God imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.” This seems to be a little bit of a weird statement, but considering that the imprisonment was really the law, and the law is what shows us that we are sinners, then what Paul is saying makes sense.

Anyway, the big point is that God has mercy for everyone. None of us are deserving of that mercy and none of us are in a position of giving God advice on this one.

I am curious if anyone has any thoughts on what Paul says, “Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ” – does that mean that there is a quota? Does this mean the Jews are saved anyway? I’m a little lost on this one.